Trump Administration Fires Science Board, Threatens Research Funding

0:00The Trump administration just fired every member of the National Science Board, the group that oversees the National Science Foundation. They got emails Friday from the Presidential Personnel Office, saying on behalf of President Donald J. Trump that their positions ended right then. This board, set up back in 1950, gives advice to the President and Congress on science and engineering policy. It approves big research grants and sets the foundation's direction. Normally, it has 25 experts from universities and industry appointed for staggered six year terms. Fired member Kevin Stassen, from Vanderbilt University, called it enormously disappointing, though not a total shock. Senate Democrat Maria Cantwell slammed it as a dangerous hit on the expertise fueling American innovation. The administration pushed to slash the foundation's $9 billion budget by more than half last year, but Congress held the line. Now that cut is back on the table, and the board's headquarters even got moved to a smaller spot after their old building went to housing officials.

1:02Without this independent oversight, experts feared deep damage to basic research and training the next wave of scientists. The foundation pointed questions to the White House, which hasn't responded yet, leaving science funding in a precarious spot. That's the story for today. Canada News, today, driven by AI. I'm Corey with the story.